Uprooted Champoor families live in fear following arrest of 7 persons by TID

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 February 2013, 20:11 GMT]Tension and fear prevail among uprooted Tamil families from Champoor area currently being sheltered in temporary sheds described as welfare centres at four places, Kaddai-pa'richchaan, Paddith-thidal, Ma'nat-cheanai and Ki'liveddi since the arrest of seven Tamils by a special TID team from Colombo last week alleging them as LTTE members. Two of them are inmates of Paddith-thidal welfare camp. They are all breadwinners of their families. They were taken to a place out of the Trincomalee district for military ‘rehabilitation’.

The Tamils of Champoor were uprooted seven years ago in 2006 April following a massive operation by the occupying Sri Lanka Army.

Even 5 years after the SL military brought Champoor under its military control, the uprooted people are refused permission by the SL government to resettle in their traditional villages in Champoor area. They are living in temporary sheds at four places.

For the last two years the SL government had stopped dry ration relief provided to them by the World Food Programme as a ‘punishment’ meted out to them for not consenting to relocate them in an alternative site identified by the occupying Sri Lanka Army instead of resettlement in their own villages.

With the arrest of these seven Tamils their families are left in the lurch for their survival.

SL Police sources said they are kept in custody and would be released after completing their ‘rehabilitation’ period.

Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, former TNA parliamentarian of the Trincomalee district and a person who hails from Moothoor East said the arrested persons, all of whom are married men with children, are not involved in LTTE.